North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles on Saturday, according to South Korea, a day after Seoul concluded five days of joint maritime exercises with the United States and Japan focused on responding to threats from Pyongyang.
North Korea had criticised plans for the so-called Freedom Edge exercises, which were held in international waters off South Korea, describing the drills as a threat to North Korea and other countries in the region.
South Korea’s military said it detected several short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan area towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launches were detected at about 5:20 am local time on Saturday, with the missiles travelling approximately 250 kilometres (155 miles).
South Korean and US intelligence authorities “have tracked and shared relevant developments since the initial stage of the launch and also shared information regarding the … missile with Japan,” the JCS said in a statement.
The latest launch follows North Korea’s previous missile test on August 20, when Pyongyang fired a barrage of missiles into the sea despite an overture from US President Donald Trump, who has said he intends to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year.
The August launch occurred while South Korea and the United States were conducting a shortened version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises, following Trump’s decision to scale back the drills.
Trump’s decision had raised concerns among US allies in the region, with the US president describing the exercises as “inappropriate and hostile” towards North Korea.
However, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers earlier this month that a meeting between Trump and Kim could take place “at any time”, pointing to signs of possible renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.
Trump met Kim three times during his first term in office, including one occasion when he famously said they were “in love”. The high-profile meetings were aimed at reaching an agreement on denuclearisation, but failed to produce tangible progress.
North Korea has repeatedly condemned joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, describing them as preparations for an invasion. Pyongyang has frequently responded to such drills with missile launches.
Trump, who has expressed interest in rebuilding the relationship he said he established with Kim during his first term, told reporters at the White House on August 19 that he planned to meet the North Korean leader before the end of the year.
The US president also stressed the importance of maintaining a relationship with Kim, saying Pyongyang now possessed 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons.
Hours after North Korea’s August 20 missile launches, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un, criticised the South Korean government over the scaled-back exercises.
She described the decision in a statement as “an evident disaster brought by the unrealistic and anachronistic security outlook” pursued by Seoul, while accusing South Korea of maintaining a “master-and-servant” relationship with the United States.
Source: AFP
